Safety & terms of service
The ground rules.

These terms govern bookings, private investigations, events and merchandise bought through this site by P.A.T.H. Investigators (here, “we” or “the desk”). By filing a request, paying a deposit or completing a checkout you accept them. Anything not covered here is handled in good faith by the desk; for a question, write through the contact page.

Overnights, private investigations and overnight events are strictly 18+. By booking you confirm that every guest in your party is eighteen or older and is fit to take part. We may check identification on arrival; a guest who cannot prove their age will not be admitted and will not receive a refund.

You may book for yourself and for the members of your party, but you are responsible for making sure each of them has read and accepted these terms.

Expeditions work on a pay-first, desk-confirms-dates model. When you reserve a place you pay a non-refundable holding fee; the desk then contacts you to confirm the specific dates and settle the remaining balance. The holding fee holds your clearance but is not a deposit against the balance and is not refunded if you change your mind.

The full expedition price shown on the dossier is per guest and is inclusive of lodging, on-site meals, local transfers, after-hours access, your instrument kit and the morning evidence review, unless the dossier states otherwise. Travel to the meeting point is not included.

Card payments are processed by Base44 Payments. We never see or store your full card number. Prices are in US dollars and are confirmed at checkout.

• Holding fee — non-refundable. It holds your clearance while dates are confirmed.
• Balance, more than 30 days out — refundable on request, less the holding fee.
• 14–30 days out — transferable once to another expedition in the same season, on request.
• Inside 14 days — non-refundable, as crew, access and lodging are already committed.
• Weather or tide cancellation by us — rebooked at no cost, or refunded in full if you prefer.
• Merchandise — made to order by our print partner and only refunded or replaced if the item arrives faulty.

To cancel or move a booking, write to the desk as early as you can. Refunds are returned to the card used at checkout and normally arrive within five to ten working days.

Every site is surveyed and insured before guests are booked. Restricted areas stay locked, and a lead investigator moves with each group of eight or fewer. You will receive a safety briefing on arrival covering exits, the location of the crew at all times, what to do if you feel unwell, and how the overnight lock-in is run.

You must follow the instructions of the lead investigator at all times. If you are asked to leave an area or to stop an activity, you do so immediately. Equipment you do not recognise is not to be touched unless the crew hands it to you.

We walk out at any point weather, tide or structural conditions require it. A night cut short for safety is rebooked at no cost; it is not refunded, because the crew, access and lodging costs stand either way.

Expect six to seven hours on your feet through a night, with stairs, uneven floors, low light and long unlit periods. Blackwater Light is the most demanding expedition — tide-dependent shoreline work, a keeper’s cottage stair and no grid power.

If anyone in your party has a mobility, sensory or medical need, tell the desk before booking. We will be honest about which sites can accommodate you and place you accordingly; we cannot guarantee access to every area of a historic structure.

This is a documented field investigation, not an attraction. There are no actors, jump scares or staged effects, and we do not tolerate behaviour that puts guests, crew, the site or the evidence at risk. Intoxication, tampering with equipment, entering a restricted area, or aggression toward crew or another guest is grounds for removal from the site without refund.

Phones stay pocketed during active sessions. Recording by guests is welcome, but the crew’s static cameras and recorders are the primary record of the night.

Each pair receives an analog instrument kit: a recorder, an EMF meter, a thermometer and a light. Kit is signed out on arrival and back in at dawn; lost or damaged kit is charged at replacement cost. You may bring your own camera, but the desk is not responsible for personal equipment left on site.

Capture made by our crew belongs to the case file and may be published, credited or anonymised on this site and in our programme material. Tell the lead investigator before the session begins if you would rather not appear in published footage.

Store items are produced and shipped by our print and fulfilment partner, Printful. Delivery times, sizing and care are set by the partner; the desk steps in only if an order fails to arrive or arrives faulty. Prices and availability can change between the time you view an item and the time you check out.

A member account lets you hold reservations, review your history and manage your details. You are responsible for keeping your password secure; anything done under your account is treated as done by you. You can delete your account at any time, and the records we are not legally required to keep are removed with it.

You take part in an expedition at your own risk. The desk carries insurance for the events it runs, but to the fullest extent the law allows, P.A.T.H. Investigators is not liable for injury, loss or damage arising from your participation, your failure to follow crew instructions, or the inherent condition of a historic, unlit and unmodified site.

Where the law implies guarantees that cannot be excluded, our liability is limited to resupplying the service or refunding the amount you paid, at our option.

When our practice changes we revise this page and move the date at the top. A change that affects an existing booking is also sent to the email address on the booking; if you disagree with a material change before your trip, you may cancel under the cancellation terms above.